# GitHub repositories and automated releases

> The update server reads GitHub releases. A repository can contain multiple packages:

Source: https://fluxwp.com/wiki/guncelleme-sunucusu-en/github-ve-yayin-en/  
Section: Setup  
Last updated: 2026-11-08

The update server reads GitHub releases. A repository can contain multiple packages:

```text
plugins/<slug>/<slug>.php
themes/<slug>/style.css
bin/build.sh
.github/workflows/release.yml
```

Use the build scripts and release workflow in [FluxWP](https://github.com/FluxWP/fluxwp) as a reference.

## Publish a version

1. Increase the package's `Version:` header and version constant, if present.
2. Add release notes under the version heading in the package's `CHANGELOG.md`.
3. Submit the change through a branch and PR. After review and merge to main, Actions builds `dist/<slug>.zip`, creates a `<slug>-v<version>` release and attaches the ZIP.

With `UPDATE_WEBHOOK_SECRET` configured, the workflow refreshes the server cache. The update then appears in WordPress.

## Rules

A hyphenated version such as `1.3.0-beta.1` is a prerelease for beta-channel sites. A version decrease fails the release. `Requires Plugins:` declares dependencies installed by FluxWP Panel. Use `.distignore` in the package directory to exclude files; Git metadata, node_modules and tests are excluded by default.

## Manual builds

Use Actions → Package release → Run workflow for manual releases, optionally selecting one package. For a local ZIP, run `bin/build.sh plugins/flx-example`. New packages belong under `plugins/<slug>/` or `themes/<slug>/` and are discovered from releases when the repository is enabled on the server.

Keep tokens out of the repository. The GitHub token belongs in the update server panel; `UPDATE_WEBHOOK_SECRET` belongs in GitHub Actions secrets.